Survivors
by SheS writer
Summary: Where one nightmare ends, another begins. While trying to survive in a world with barely any good air, barely any food, and barely any freedom...well there's not many good times. For Wasensa, it's difficult. She must take care of her adopted family, herself, and she must keep them hidden from people who would take them away. She's not sure how much longer they can survive.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The humidity in the hot, suffocating air makes my hair stick to my forehead. I want to turn around. I want to leave this small, hot area, but I cannot abandon my mission.

"How ya holding up?" I hear his voice in the comms unit.

My best friend, my love, my partner in survival.

"Okay, I guess." I answer. "A little hot."

"Well, just hang in there." He says. "You're almost to the prize."

"Okay, Leno." I say. "Over and out."

I continue my crawl through the ducts.

Catala probably could've fit in these too, but considering we're basically twin cousins in body shape, but Leno decided that I was more prepared.

I find the opening. The golden vase balances feet below me.

"Found it." I say.

"Okay." Leno says. "Wasensa, be careful."

I carefully unscrew the covering of the duct. I stick the end of my cable securely to the duct, then I slowly float down to the vase.

Stealing's all too easy to me. No one really guards the treasure anymore. I guess no one really has the resources.

I wrap my fingers around the neck of the vase. I click the button of my cable to be hoisted up.

Once safely in the vent, I slide the vase into my backpack, then I screw the covering of the went back into the place.

My job's done, now it's time to leave.

It seems faster getting out, than it was getting in. I spot the light of the outside.

Soon I'll be back with my family. Soon we'll have enough money to stay in a motel. Soon, very soon.

I kick out the vent. Leno watches me from afar as I walk to him.

"You get it?" He asks.

I nod.

"Yep." I answer. "Where are the others?"

Leno grabs my hand. He pulls me towards the crowded city.

"They're hiding." He answers.

"Oh." I say.

We walk for a bit. Leno's probably trying to find someone to sell the vase to.

"Hood up." Leno whispers in my ear.

I slide my hood over my ears. Leno must see somebody to try and sell to.

"Where?" I ask. "Who?"

Leno grabs my backpack. I allow him to slide it from my shoulders.

"Stay by the door." He whispers, approaching a man hidden in clothing. "I'll be right back."

I nod. I really don't want to stay out here alone, but Leno knows best.

I look around. The others must be close by. There's not many places to hide.

A child coughs behind me.

"Mommy, it's so hard to breathe." A tiny girl sobs.

I glance back at the dusty girl. Her mother holds her close to her chest.

"Try to breathe through my clothes." Her mother says. "It'll be okay, baby."

The air's truly no good to breathe in. Not with all the ash of burning buildings. Not with the leftover effects of the war hundreds of years ago. The air's a killer, mostly to children.

My heart goes out to the mother. She's about seventeen...my age.

I rummage through my pockets until I find a clean cloth. I walk over to the woman and her child.

"Hey." I smile.

The woman glares at me.

"What do you want?" She growls.

I reach out my hand to her. She pulls her child closer.

"It's a cloth." I whisper. "For your child to breathe through."

The woman's fearful look turns to one of gratitude. She grabs the cloth from my hand, then places it over her daughter's face.

"There, baby." She whispers, then looks at me. "Thank you."

I nod.

"No problem." I say.

The woman walks away from me. I stare at they leave.

I should be married by now. I should have a child by now.

A hand touches my shoulder. I squeal as I'm spun around.

Leno's green eyes burn into mine.

"It's just me." He whispers.

I close my eyes.

"I thought you were a Taskler." I whisper.

Leno nods.

"I figured." He whispers. "Come on, I have enough for three nights."

"Should've been more." Catala says, making me jump.

I love my cousin, I do, but I hate her ninja quietness. I swear, someday she's going to give me a heart attack.

"That vase was priceless." Catala says.

Leno nods.

"Yeah, but in this economy we're lucky to just get three." He says.

"Where are the others." I ask.

Catala points to some shadows. I can make out Freg's, Blaisa's, Cheitas's, and Lenken's faces. I squint to see Dreken's eyes.

"Dreken's almost invisible." I say.

"Unfair camouflage." Leno jokes.

Dreken steps from the shadows. You're just jealous 'cause I can hide in the shadows, and you can't." He jokes.

Leno and Dreken are best friends. They have been ever since Leno and I found Catala and Dreken.

Freg, Blaisa, Cheitas, and Leken join us.

"Are we leaving?" Leken asks.

Leno nods.

"Yeah, come on." He says.

I stare at Leno. He smiles down at me.

Sometimes I think back to the day Leno saved me. Well...I guess you could call it the day we saved each other.

I had stolen bread. I was only seven, but I was an orphan. I needed food, so I stoles bread.

But I was freezing. Winter had come, but I had no shelter. There was no way I was going to survive.

Then a boy found me. A dirt-covered, green-eyed, boy.

"I'm so cold." I whisper.

The boy slowly approached me. I heard his stomach growl as he sat opposite of me.

He pointed to my bread. I clenched it to my chest.

The boy had then proceeded to pull a box of matches from his pocket. He gathered a few sticks with Paper, then ignited them.

Once again he pointed to my bread. I figured we had a deal breaker then, so I broke it in half and gave him a piece.

He'd held me until I was fully warm, it was then that me and Leno's friendship began.

When we were ten we had found Leken. He was just a scrappy little seven, year old, practically dead when I'd found him.

At first Leno wanted me to leave him on the street. He said that adding a member would be death. But when I held up Leken's head, and he moaned, Leno agreed.

Although, he said I had to take care of him. Which I tried to do, but I nearly drowned Leken when I tried to get him to drink. So Leno became Leken's caregiver.

About a year later Leken had found Cheitas. He'd led Leno and I to her bloody body. She had been practically killed by one, of many, gangs. Leken had saved her life.

A year after that we had found Blaisa, Leken's little sister, and Freg. The two were only seven, and trying to survive on their own.

Last year was when he had found our last two members. Catala, my cousin, and Drelek, her boyfriend.

By that time our group was already equipped for survival. Catala was a great edition, though. Her mother had been a doctor and had taught her things that she needed to know.

It doesn't take us long to get to our favorite motel. The owner greets us with a smile.

"Hey guys." He says.

"Hey Doc." Leno says. "We've got enough for three days."

Doc grins.

"Don't ya mean six?" He asks.

Doc's one of our best friends. He's in his early thirties. He should be a grandfather.

But he isn't, at least, not yet. He does have an adopted daughter, but she's only eight.

Doc helps our our group often. He'll give us double the days we should get, and plenty of medical supplies.

"Thanks Doc." Leno says.

We walk to our room. Leken collapses onto the nearby couch.

Cheitas sits next to him.

Catala glances at me. Her worry seems to match mine.

She rushes to the couch.

"Bud, you okay?" She asks.

Leken sits up. Cheitas and Catala sit on either sides of him.

"I'm fine." He answers. "I'm just a little tired."

I always worry about Leken, we all do. He's got a bad lung. Doc says it's got something to do with the air.

He could be dying. He could go any second, but I don't think anyone would let that happen. We all love him too much.

"Why don't you take the bed then?" Leno asks. "We can't have dinner tonight. We'll have to get some food tomorrow."

Leken shakes his head.

"Sis gets it." He says. "She hasn't gotten the bed in a long time. Besides, I'm fine on the couch."

I watch Leno consider Leken's proposal.

"Okay." He says. "Blaisa gets the bed."

"Mommy, will you tuck me into bed please, again?" Blaisa asks. "You and daddy?"

Now Leno and I aren't Blaisa's real parents, obviously, and, in this society, she's a little old to be calling us her mommy and daddy. But I like that Leno and I have given her a true childhood.

Who knows? Maybe someday Leno and I can actually get married, and have a real daughter, of our genetics...because Blaisa is a daughter to us, but if we had a daughter of our genetics...then we could give it a real childhood.

"Sure." I answer.

Leno and I follow Blaisa into the bedroom. She climbs into bed, and we tuck her in.

"Goodnight." Leno says, gently kissing her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

"Night daddy." Blaisa whispers.

I kiss her forehead.

"Goodnight." I whisper. "Sleep tight."

"Mommy." She mumbles, grabbing my hand as I turn. "Tell me the story of the world, again. Please, mommy, please."

Leno glances at me. He probably figures I'm sick of telling the story.

"Sure." I nod.

Leno nods.

"See ya when ya come out." He says.

I sit on Blaisa's bed. She curls onto my lap.

I comb my fingers through her hair. They tangle a bit. We are all desperately in need of showers.

"About seven hundred years ago, there was a war." I begun. "A dictator wanted everything, every country, every city, every town...he just wanted everything. So, he created a war. Every nation, that was capable, sent bombs. All sorts of bombs. Unfortunately, the bombs had radiation...on top of that, meteors began to fall out of nowhere. Many thought it was..."

"The end of the world." Blaisa whispers.

"Yeah." I agree. "For many years no one could leave their hiding places. To do so was basically death. Then people began to resurface, but they would've been better below ground. The dictator's family had survived over the years. All of them had the same desires the first dictator had. They, also, still had weapons. They had an army left. With the world in such terrible shape, it was all too easy to take over."

"But that's not all." Blaisa continues. "Something had changed on the world. Some suggest that the different forms of nucleation reacted with the rocks in the meteors to create a mineral named Karkadia."

I nod.

"Yeah." I say. "Karkadia was first used to create devastating weapons, but it was discovered that Karkadia, mixed with other things, could make a new brand of car fly. Traveling, for the dictator, got easier."

"To mine all the Karkadia, and to keep the population down, the dictator set a rule that everyone eighteen and older would be sent to mining camps." Blaisa whispers, sleepily.

"Yes." I say. "And if your parents would perish before your eighteenth birthday, then a Taskler, and orphan collector, will come for you. They'll take you to a holding house until you turn eighteen."

"But you can escape the Taskler's grasps. You can survive in a group, like we have." Blaisa smiles, closing her eyes. "And get a new mommy and daddy."

I gently kiss her forehead.

"Night baby." I whisper.

"Night." Blaisa whispers.

I lay her down, cover her in her blanket, then quietly leave her room.

Everyone else is already asleep. Everyone, but Leno.

"She asleep?" He asks.

"Yeah." I nod.

"Good." Leno says.

"Yep." I say, laying down next to him.

"You tired?" He asks.

"A little." I answer.

"It's getting harder, huh?" He asks. "Just living day by day."

"Yeah." I agree.

It is a little hard. Having to steal, hide everyday. It's hard, but I know we can make it.

"We'll survive." I whisper.

Leno takes my hand.

"I know." He whispers. "Goodnight, I love you."

"I love you too." I whisper, closing my eyes.

In my dreams there's freedom, no pain, and everything's perfect. If only dreams were real.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Her screaming alarms us. We all jump to our feet.

"Cheitas!" Leken yells, shaking her shoulders. "Cheitas, it's all right! Wake up, Cheitas!"

Chaitas sits up, narrowly missing Leken's head. She wraps her arms around his neck.

"Leken, it was so horrible." She cries.

"It's okay." Leken whispers. "Really, it's okay. I'm here. I'm always here."

Cheitas stares into his eyes.

"Not for long." She whispers.

That's our cue. Catala and I pull Cheitas from Leken. We escort her into the bathroom, lock the door, and sit Cheitas on the floor.

Catala whips out a tiny flashlight. She flashes it into Cheitas's eyes as she studies her.

"You with us?" She asks.

Cheitas blinks. Tears begin to flood her eyes.

"I...I saw him die." She cries. "I...I saw it."

Cheitas looks at me. She nods.

"She's with us." She says.

I kneel next to her. We try to soothe Cheitas until she stops crying.

"What did you see?" I ask.

"It was a dream." She whispers. "You know it'll happen."

This is the only scary things about Cheitas. On the outside she's a beautiful, green-eyed, red-headed, girl. She looks perfect, but on the inside...she's broken.

Catala said it might've been caused by a concussion Cheitas had. Cheitas had had a concussion after the gang had beat her. Leno noted it, but he didn't think it could do anything permanent to her...at least, not what it had actually done.

She began to have nightmares. Not too weird, but when she has them, they come true.

For example, this one time she dreamt that Freg was going to sprain his arm. A few days ago later, he did.

Now, whenever she has a nightmare, we listen. That's why she's with us now. That's why I'm sure Leno has probably called for a family meeting.

"What was the dream?" I ask. "What was it?"

"Leken...Leken was...he was coughing up blood...the Tasklers had him...he was going to die. They were going to kill him." Cheitas cries. "You know what they do. No weak, only strong."

She collapses into me. I slide my arms around her.

"Easy." I whisper. "Cheitas, the Tasklers are never going to get Leken. He's fine. Leken will always be fine."

Cheitas shakes her head.

"I saw him!" She screams. "I saw him in my dreams! I saw it! It's going to happen! I know it!"

"Mom." Leken knocks. "Aunt Catala, what's going on?"

Now, Leken does call me mom, but I think it's more for Blaisa's sake.

"Everything's okay, bud!" Catala answers. "Please go sit down!"

A few seconds later there's another knock on the door.

"Leken, I said sit down!" Catala yells.

"It's Doc!" Doc announces. "Let me in!"

Catala opens the door. Doc comes in with Cassida. Cassida plops Doc's medical beg on the floor.

Doc was once a doctor. People, that we've met that knew him in his doctor days, say that he was one of the best. The only reason he's not a doctor anymore is because he got into a bad car accident, and permanently busted up his hand.

How'd he become a doctor? Well, certain people are selected to have special professions, most of the time a doctor's child will be chosen as a doctor.

Doc was apparently one of the chosen ones. After his accident, well, his immunity from the Tasklers was kept in tacked. As a token of appreciation, Doc was given this motel.

He said he was happy for it, and apparently found Cassida shortly after. The Tasklers don't know that he has Cassida. If they knew, then they'd take her when she came of age.

Cheitas moves from me. She wraps her arms around Doc's neck.

"Make it stop!" She screams. "Make them go away! Please, Doc! Please! Just make them stop!"

Doc rubs Cheitas's back.

"Easy." He whispers. "It's okay."

"No!" Cheitas screams. "Take the pain away! Take the nightmares away! Doc, please! I can't take this anymore! Please, please, please, just take it away!"

Doc glances at Cassida. She grabs a bottle of pills from the bag. She untwists the cap, and taps two into her hand.

"Cheitas." Cassida whispers. "Here."

Cheitas practically inhales the pills. Within a matter of seconds, she falls asleep on the tiled floor.

The door slowly opens. Leken stares down at Cheitas's sleeping body.

"She's going to get addicted." He whispers. "She already did once."

Leken loves Cheitas. He has for years now. He's always been there for her. His greatest fear has to be losing her, the or losing his sister.

"It's okay, bud." Catala says. "I won't let her get addicted again."

Cheitas developed a pill problem a few years ago. She nearly overdosed thousands of times. She always wanted the nightmares to go away. The pills seemed to do that.

Leken finally cold-turkeyed her. If it wasn't for him then we probably would've lost her. Now he tries to put a restriction on her pill taking.

"I hope you're right." Leken whispers.

He slides his arms under her. He carefully lifts her.

"Lenken." Cassida breathes.

"I'm fine." Leken growls.

I figure I should just let Leken be with Cheitas. If not, he'll get mad.

Leno stares at me as I exit the bathroom. Surprisingly enough, there doesn't seem to be any meetings going on.

"What was the dream?" He asks.

I glance at Leken. Leno pulls me out of the room, and into the hall.

"She dreamt about Leken being captured by Tasklers, and coughing up blood." I answer.

Leno shakes his head. He closes his eyes.

"That won't happen." He whispers. "I won't let it happen. The future's not set in stone."

I nod.

"I know." I say.

Doc joins us in the hallway.

"I figured there was a leader meeting out here." He says. "Not a very private place, though." Leno and I chuckle. What Doc said wasn't really funny, but I figured we laughed 'cause we love him.

Doc's like a father to all of us. He gives us a place to stay, takes care of us, teaches us; he does about everything he can to take care of us.

Unfortunately, he's getting old. Now, he is only in his thirties, but his hair's graying. I guess it's just the stress of the keeping Cassida safe.

"So, Doc, what's the diagnoses on Cheitas?" Leno asks.

"She'll be fine." Doc assures.

Leno smiles, but then he frowns.

"What about Leken?" He asks.

Doc shrugs.

"He seems fine." He answers. "But I'm having Cassida examine him, just in case."

"Good." Leno nods.

"Yes." Doc says. "Anyway, how are you two?"

I shrug.

"Pretty good." I answer.

"Not bad." Leno agrees.

"That's good." Doc says.

Cassida walks into the hallway.

"Report?" Doc asks.

"No change." Cassida answers. "He's fine, right now."

"Good." Leno breathes.

I know he worries about Leken, probably more than any one of us. He has a lot to worry about. He's our leader.

I'm the co-leader. The one that'll have to make decisions, if anything should ever happen to Leno. I pray nothing ever does happen to him. I'd be lost without him, the whole group would be.

"Daddy, don't forget about what the sources said." Cassida says.

"Right." Doc nods, then stares at Leno. "My sources informed me that Tasklers are coming today for inspection of my tenants."

Leno growls in his throat.

"Will we ever get a break?" He mutters.

He doesn't want an answer. At least, not one from us. Maybe he's asking God.

Yes, I said God. Does anyone really worship God? Any God? Um, well, no, not in public.

Our dictator doesn't want us to worship God. He wants to be the one people beg to; the one that they pray to. Too bad for him, though, 'cause me, and my family, are never going to pray to him.

I slide my hand into Leno's.

"We gotta get the others." I whisper, then look at Doc. "Make sure Cassida's hidden."

Doc nods, pats Cassida's back, then bends to kiss her forehead.

"Go hide." He whispers.

Cassida nods.

"Okay, daddy." She whispers.

I watch Cassida leave. She'll go to Doc's room, remove the carpet from the hidden floor door, go down into her room. Doc will put the carpet back, then slide a chair over it.

"Let's go." Leno whispers.

We walk back into the room. Doc helps us gather our things.

"You can return at anytime for the remainder of your stay." He says.

"Thanks." Leno nods.

This is what hurts the most. We have to leave, to hide, when we just here, when none of us have even eaten, or had showers.

If we could, we'd probably hide with Cassida, but her hiding room is too small. Not all of us could fit, and the family refuses to split up when we have to hide.

"I don't want to leave." Blaisa protests. "We just got here. It's not fair. Not at all."

"I know, sweetie, but we have to go." He whispers. "We'll pick up some food on the way, though, or after we find a safe place. Okay?"

Blaisa nods.

"Alright." Leno stands. "Let's go."

I pull my backpack onto my back. I glance back at Dreken, carrying a sleeping Cheitas.

"Hope she doesn't have another nightmare." I whisper as we leave the motel room.

"Doc drugged her." Leno says. "She'll be fine for hours."

Leken grumbles to himself as we make our way back onto the filthy street.

"What's wrong, bud?" Catala asks.

Leken shakes his head.

"I hate when Doc drugs her." He mutters. "Cheitas can't always have drugs. It's not good."

Catala slides her arm around his shoulders. It's sad the way Catala's taller than Leken, it's sad the way all the older are taller than him. We're only three years older. Leken should, at least, be taller than me and Catala.

I think he's growing slowly because of his illness. I'm not completely sure if that's the real reason. He could just be a late bloomer.

"She'll be fine, bud." Catala whispers.

Leken closes his eyes.

"I wish she was better." He breathes.

He begins to couch. Leno stops the group.

Leken waves us forward.

"I...am...fine." He coughs. "I'm fine."

Leno glances at me. His lighting eyes tell me to find someplace to hide.

I glance around. I'm excellent at seeing things; at finding hidden items.

I spot a building a few yards away. Just like everyone's clothes, it's gray.

It doesn't look too destroyed. It still has a roof, door, and windows. Granted, the windows are a little cracked, but otherwise, it's acceptable.

"Over there." I point.

We make our way to the building. Leken coughs the whole way.

Once we get to the door, Dreken and Leno approach the door.

Leno pulls his knife, Dreken lays Cheitas on the floor, then retrieves his metal pipe.

"You guys stay out here." Dreken says. "We'll get you when it's safe."

I watch them slowly open the door, and disappear into the building. I hate watching Leno leave. I always worry that he's never going to come back.

Leken kneels next to Cheitas. He pulls her into his lap.

He coughs harder. Catala places a cloth over his mouth and nose.

"Breathe through this." She whispers.

Leken nods. Catala glances at me.

I know we're both thinking the same thing. Leken needs to get inside, now.

Leno comes to the door. He nods, picks up Cheitas, then we follow him inside.

As usual, there's not much inside. There's only a few pieces of furniture, no food, but there is a bathroom.

Catala's the first one to check for water. Everyone practically cheers when she announces that it's working, and that it's warm.

"I call first." Catala announces, then she closes the door.

Leno taps my shoulder. I turn to him.

"Dreken and I are going to the market." He says. "We should be back by sundown."

I nod.

"Be careful." I whisper.

"I'm always careful." Leno winks.

I roll my eyes. Leno laughs, then slides his arms around me.

I stand on the tips of my toes. I always have to do this when we're going to kiss. Leno's a whole lot taller than me.

His lips gently brace mine. His kiss sends tingles through my body, fills me with happiness, and makes me want to beg him to stay.

I hate everytime he leaves. I hate it when I'm not with him.

"Ready to go?" Dreken asks as Leno pulls away.

"Yeah." Leno answers, his eyes not straying from mine.

"I love you." I whisper.

Leno pulls his hood over his head. He secures his backpack.

"I love you too." He says. "See ya soon."

They leave. I lock the door behind them.

"Wasensa, I'm hungry." Freg grumbles.

I sit next to him on the floor. I gently rub his arm.

"I know." I whisper. "I am too, but don't worry. Dreken and Leno will be back soon."

Leken coughs hard. I scoot over to him. I slowly rub his back.

"Try to take deep breathes." I whisper.

Leken nod, he removes the cloth from his mouth, and tries to breathe deeply.

"Mom, do I...have asthma?" Leken coughs.

I close my eyes. I wish I could say yes. I actually wish it was asthma. Truth is, we know what it's not, but not what it is.

"No." I answer.

"Am I...going to...die?" He coughs.

I pull him to me. I squeeze him tight.

"Never." I breathe.

Catala exits the bathroom, her jet black hair hands down her shoulders. She wears new clothes, her dirty ones drip in her arms.

"We'll make a rope for the wet clothes to hang on." She says. "Leken, go shower."

Leken nods. He glances at Cheitas, then walks into the bathroom, and closes the door.

Catala retrieves a rope from her backpack, and I help her hang it across the living room. We could care less if the floor gets wet. We just want our clothes to dry.

Blaisa and Freg sit by the bathroom door. They must've decided that a line's the only good way to determine whoever's next.

Now, I figure I won't shower until after Freg. Well, unless Cheitas wakes up.

Shower days are, by far, my favorite time. Mostly because, one, we all get cleaned, and two, because it's the time when things feel normal, like the time before my parents died.

Time passes, everyone's wet clothes hang on the rope, and it's my turn to take a shower.

I place my clean clothes on the sink counter, hop into the shower, take off my dirty clothes, drop them on the floor of the bathtub, and turn on the water.

Okay, so the hardest thing in the world to do is clean clothes. During our showers we, not only have to scrub ourselves clean, but our clothes too.

And since the required color of clothing in Section Wash is gray, it's extremely hard to know when the clothes are clean. We just have to watch the water for when it's clear again.

Cheitas wake up as I open the bathroom door. She steps into the bathroom and closes the door.

I sit on the floor next to the kids. Blaisa sits behind Freg, combing his golden hair. Leken sits behind her, brushing her, equal color to mine and his, medium brown hair.

"Mommy, when are daddy and Uncle Dreken coming back?" Blaisa asks, her eyes not straying from Freg's hair.

Yes, Blaisa calls Catala and Dreken, Aunt and Uncle. I guess it's because Catala and I are more like sisters, than cousins.

"By sundown." I say.

"Good." Blaisa says.

Everyone's stomachs growl. I glance out the window, careful not to be seen.

A tapping sound echoes throughout the house.

"Mom?" Leken asks, finally able to breathe without coughing.

I see the streaks of the gray-looking raindrop on the window. Oddly enough, the rain reminds me of somebody crying.

"Dad's gonna get soaked." Leken mumbles.

No sooner does he say that, when I see Leno and Dreken coming towards the building.

I open the door and help them in. Leno's, normally brown, hair looks black with the rain.

"We got plenty of food." He says. "But Dreken and I gotta shower."

Leken retrieves some clean clothes from his pack, then steps into the bathroom. Catala walks over to Dreken, and rips his shirt off of him.

"We can't afford anyone getting sick." He grumbles.

Dreken laughs.

"What's next, my pants?" He jokes.

Catala playfully punches his arm.

Cheitas walks towards Dreken's and Leno's backpacks. Her read, wavy, hair sways at her shoulders.

"You get anything good?" She asks.

"Yeah." Dreken answers. "What time you get up?"

"A while ago." Cheitas shrugs. "When's dinner?"

"Dinner will be made when everyone has showered." Catala answers. "Not a moment sooner."

"Yeah, I'm the only good cook around here." Dreken winks.

"Oh, come on." Cheitas whines. "Catala can cook too."

"It's only right that we wait." I say. "We waited for a day. I think we can wait for a little bit longer."

It's not a cruel decision. We never eat unless the whole family's prepared.

Leno walks out of the bathroom. He hangs his wet clothes as Dreken enters the bathroom.

"What you guys want?" Leno asks. "Ya know, for dinner?"

"What ya got?" I ask.

Leno opens his pack. He pulls out a few bags of food.

"Well, we have a few cans of soup." Leno answers. "It'd be great for warming up."

"Yeah." Catala nods. "But one problem..."

"What?" Leno asks.

"The stove ain't working." Catala answers.

"That's okay." Leno says. "We have wood and some matches. I think Dreken has paper."

"Okay." Catala says.

I watch Leno as he and Catala attempt to make a fire in the middle of the room. The fire will be good, for both, cooking and warmth.

The gray rain continues to knock at the window. The rain will make it colder, also easier to stay hidden.

As soon as Dreken exits the bathroom, he's assisting with the fire making. After all, he is the best fire maker in the group.

Catala and I use some pans to cook the soup. It doesn't take too long before the dinner is ready.

The family gathers in a circle on the floor. With our bowls of soup, we've found temporary peace.

But I know that in the morning we'll have to leave again. This isn't a permanent home. Sometimes I wonder if we'll ever find any permanent place to live in peace.


End file.
